4 Using Application Builder

Configuring Developer Preferences

Many pages in Application Builder include a navigation bar at the top of the page. You can use the controls in the navigation bar to customize the appearance of the page. Most navigation bars include a View and Display list. You can control the default display for both lists on the Developer Preferences page.

To edit developer preferences:

1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

2. From the Tasks list, click Developer Preferences.

3. From Set View Mode, select one of the following:

   • Icons (the default) displays the items on the page as a large icon.

   • Details displays the items on the page as a line in a report.

4. From Report Rows, select the number items to display.

5. Click Apply Changes.

About the Action Bar

The Action bar displays beneath the Utilities tab in the upper right corner of most pages in Application Builder.

This bar contains the icons discussed in the sections that follow. Note that the Run Page icon, Edit Page icon, Developer Comment icon, and Find icon display on numerous pages in Application Builder, including pages for creating and managing shared components. See "Working with Shared Components".

Run Page Icon

Description of the illustration run_ico_green.gif

The Run Page icon resembles a small, light green traffic light. Click this icon to render viewable HTML of the current page. If no page is selected, clicking this icon runs the first page in the application. When you run a page, the Application Express engine dynamically renders the page based on data stored in the database. See "Running a Page or Application".

Edit Icon

Description of the illustration edit_icon.gif

The Edit Page icon resembles a small green piece of paper and pencil. Click this icon to access the Page Definition of the current page. If no page is selected, clicking this icon displays the Page Definition of the first page in the application. See "About the Page Definition".

Shared Components Icon

Description of the illustration shared_comp_icon_2.gif

The Shared Components icon resembles a small mechanical gear. Click this icon to view a list of shared components and user interface controls that can display or be applied on every page within an application. See "Working with Shared Components".

Developer Comment icon

Description of the illustration dev_comment_icon.gif

The Developer Comment icon is the shape of a green balloon. Click this icon to record comments about an application, a specific page, or a group of pages. See "Adding Developer Comments".

Find Icon

Description of the illustration find_icon_2.gif

The Find icon resembles a flashlight. Click this icon to search for items, pages, queries, tables, PL/SQL, images, and cascading style sheets (CSS) within the current application or the schemas associated with the workspace. See "Using the Find Icon".

Configuring the Application Definition

You use the attributes on the Edit Definition page to control the application name and availability as well as to define static substitution strings. Additionally, the Edit Definition page displays defined build options, the associated theme, template defaults, and component defaults. Required values are marked with a red asterisk (*).

Topics in this section include:

• Accessing the Edit Definition Page

• About the Edit Definition Page

Accessing the Edit Definition Page

To edit the application definition:

1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

2. Select an application.

3. Click Shared Components.

   The Shared Components page appears.

4. Under Application, click Application Definition.

   The Edit Definition page appears.

   Tip:

   You can also access the Edit Definition page by clicking the application name at the top of the Application home page.

About Navigation Alternatives

The Edit Definition page is divided into the following sections: Name, Availability, Global Notification, Substitutions, Logo, Build Options, Theme, Template Defaults, and Component Defaults. You can access these sections by scrolling down the page, or by clicking a navigation button at the top of the page.

Description of the illustration app_attribute_tabs.gif

When you select a button at the top of the page, the selected section appears and all other sections are temporarily hidden. To view all sections of the page, click Show All.

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&ITEM.

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Configuring Security Attributes

You can provide security for your application by configuring attributes on the Edit Security Attributes page. The Security Attributes you choose apply to all pages within an application.

Topics in this section include:

• Accessing the Edit Security Attributes Page

• About the Security Attributes Page

Accessing the Edit Security Attributes Page

To access the Edit Security Attributes page:

1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

2. Select an application.

3. Click Shared Components.

   The Shared Components page appears.

4. Under Security, click Edit Security Attributes.

The Edit Security Attributes page appears.

About Navigation Alternatives

The Edit Security Attributes page is divided into the following sections: Authentication, Authorization, Database Schema, Session State Protection, and Virtual Private Database. You can access these sections by scrolling down the page, or by clicking a navigation button at the top of the page.

Description of the illustration sec_attribute_tabs.gif

When you select a button at the top of the page, the selected section appears and all other sections are temporarily hidden. To view all sections of the page, click Show All.

Configuring Globalization Attributes

In Application Builder you can develop applications that can run concurrently in different languages. A single application can be translated to support different languages. Use the attributes on the Edit Globalization Attributes page to specify globalization options such as the primary application language.

Topics in this section include:

• Accessing the Globalization Attributes Page

• About the Edit Globalization Attributes Page

Accessing a Page Definition

You can view, create, and edit the controls that define a page through the Page Definition.

To access the Page Definition for an existing page:

1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

   The Application Builder home page appears.

2. Select an application.

   The Application home page appears.

3. Select a page.

   The Page Definition appears.

Run Page Icon

The Run Page icon resembles a small, light green traffic light. Click this icon to render the current page into viewable HTML. When you run a page, the Application Express engine dynamically renders the page based on data stored in the database. See "Running a Page or Application".

Shared Components Icon

The Shared Components icon resembles a small mechanical gear. Click this icon to view a list of shared components and user interface controls that can display or be applied on every page within an application. See "Working with Shared Components".

Developer Comment Icon

The Developer Comment icon resembles a green balloon. Use this icon to add comments to an application, a page, or a group of pages. See "Adding Developer Comments".

Lock Icon

The Lock icon indicates whether a page is available for editing. If a page is unlocked, the icon appears as an open padlock. If the page is locked, the icon appears as a locked padlock. Click this icon to change the lock status. See "Locking and Unlocking a Page".

Export Page Icon

The Export Page icon resembles a downward arrow. Click this icon to export the current page. See "Exporting a Page in an Application".

Find Icon

The Find icon resembles a flashlight. Click this icon to search for items, pages, queries, tables, PL/SQL, images, and cascading style sheets (CSS) within the current application or the schemas associated with the workspace. See "Using the Find Icon".

Accessing the View List on the Page Definition

To access other pages using the View list:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. Select a page.

   The Page Definition appears.

5. From the View list, select one of the following:

   • Definition. See "Editing a Page Definition".

   • Events. See "About Page Events".

   • History. See "About History".

   • Export. See "About Export".

   • Groups. See "About Groups".

   • Referenced. See "About Referenced".

About Page Events

Page Events details all currently defined page controls and processes. This page provides a chronological view of how and in what order the Application Express engine renders the page, invokes logic, and runs processes.

A navigation bar appears directly beneath the breadcrumb trail. Available controls include:

• Page. Displays the current page number. To view another page, enter the page number in the Page field and click Go.

• View. Controls the current page view. To view alternative reports, make a selection from the list and click Go. See "Using the View List on the Page Definition".

• Show All displays all possible page controls and processes, including those not currently defined.

• Show Used displays currently used page controls and processes (Default).

• Previous and Next. These buttons resemble less than (<) and greater than (>) signs. Click these buttons to move to the previous or next page.

To view details about a specific page control or process, click the appropriate hypertext link. Alternately, you can create new page controls and processes by clicking the small icons to the left of each entry.

About the Edit All Icon

Each Page Definition is divided into three sections: Page Rendering, Page Processing, and Shared Components. Each of these sections is broken into subsections with headings that identify the type of control, component, or application logic.

You can edit all controls, components, or logic within a given subsection by clicking the Edit All icon that displays to the right of the subsection title. The Edit All icon resembles a small grid with a pencil on top of it.

Clicking the Edit All icon displays pages that enable you to edit or delete multiple controls, components, or application logic simultaneously or view a history of recent changes.

For example, selecting the Edit All icon under Regions displays a summary report of all currently defined regions on the current page. You can use this summary view to:

• Edit the multiple attributes at once by making new selections from the available fields and select lists.

• Link to a definition page by clicking the Edit icon.

You can access similar summary views on the next or previous page by clicking the Next and Previous buttons at top of each page. To save your edits to any summary view, click Apply Changes.

You can also view the attributes of a specific control or component by selecting its name on the Page Definition. For example, suppose your Page Definition contains a region named Customers. Clicking the region name Customers would display an attributes page for that region.

Page

Page attributes control specific characteristics of a page such as the page name, display attributes such as the page title and the associated page template, header text, and the selected authorization scheme to name just a few. You access page attributes from the Page Definition.

Regions

A region is a area on a page that serves as a container for content. Each page can have any number of regions. The content of a region is determined by the region source. For example, a region may contain a report based on a SQL query you define, or it may contain static HTML.

You control the appearance of a region through a specific region template. You can use regions to group page controls (such as items or buttons). You can also create simple regions that do not generate additional HTML, or create elaborate regions that frame content within HTML tables or images.

Buttons

As you design your application, you can use buttons to direct users to a specific page or URL, or to enable users to submit a page. When you submit a page, the Application Express engine posts or processes information. A button can be implemented as an HTML button, an image, or by using a template. Buttons can be placed in predefined region template positions or among items in a form.

Items

Items are HTML form elements such as text fields, select lists, and check boxes with an associated session state. Item attributes affect the display and behavior of items on a page. For example, these attributes can impact where a label displays, how large an item will be, and whether or not the item will display next to, or below the previous item.

There are two categories of items: page items and application items. Page-level items are placed on a page and have associated user interface properties, such as Display As, Label, and Label Template. Application-level items are not associated with a page and therefore have no user interface properties. An application item can be used as a global variable.

Computations

Computations are units of logic used to assign session state to items. You can use computations to assign a value to an identified item when a page is submitted or displayed.

Processes

Processes are logic controls used to execute data manipulation language (DML) or PL/SQL. For example, you can use a process to populate session state at the time a page is rendered, to execute some type of logic (for example, using PL/SQL), or to make a call to the rendering engine. Typically a process performs an action. A process may be hand coded PL/SQL, or the invocation of a predefined process.

Computations

Computations are units of logic used to assign session state to items and are executed at the time the page is processed.

Validations

Validations enable you to create logic controls to verify whether user input is valid. For example, a validation can check whether or not a value has been entered into a mandatory field.

Processes

Processes are logic controls used to execute data manipulation language (DML) or PL/SQL. Processes are executed after the page is submitted.

Branches

Branches enable you to create logic controls that determine how the user navigates through the application.

Tabs

Tabs are an effective way to navigate between pages of an application. Application Builder includes two types of tabs: standard tabs and parent tabs.

An application having only one level of tabs uses a standard tab set. A standard tab set is associated with a specific page. You can use standard tabs to link users to other pages within your application. A parent tab set functions as a container to hold a group of standard tabs. Parent tabs give users another level of navigation as well as context (or sense of place) within the application.

Lists of Values

A list of values (LOV) is a static or dynamic definition used to display a specific type of page item, such as a radio group, check box, or select list. LOVs can be static (that is, based on a set of predefined display and return values) or dynamic (based on SQL queries that select values from tables). Once created, an LOV can then be referenced by one or more page items.

You define LOVs at the application level by running the LOV Wizard and adding them to the List of Values repository.

Breadcrumbs

A breadcrumb is a hierarchical list of links that is rendered using a template. For example, you can display breadcrumbs as a list of links or as a breadcrumb path.

Lists

A list is a collection of links that is rendered using a template. For each list entry, you specify display text, a target URL, and other attributes that control when and how the list entry displays. You control the display of the list and the appearance of all list entries by linking the list to a template.

Theme

A theme is a named collection of templates that defines the application user interface. Each theme contains templates for every type of application component and page control, including individual pages, regions, reports, lists, labels, menus, buttons, and list of values.

Templates

Templates control the look and feel of the pages in your application. As you create your application, you specify templates for pages, regions, reports, lists, labels, menus, buttons, and popup lists of values. Groups of templates are organized into named collections called themes.

Security

You can provide security for your application by specifying an authorization scheme. Authorization is a broad term for controlling access to resources based on user privileges.

Navigation Bar

Use a navigation bar to link users to various pages within an application. Typically a navigation bar is used to enable users to log in, log out, or link to Help text. The location of a navigation bar depends upon the associated page template. A navigation bar icon enables you to display a link from an image or text. When you create a navigation bar icon you can specify an image name, text, display sequence, and target location (a URL or page).

Creating a Page Computation

You create a page computation by running the Create Page Computation Wizard. For each computation, specify the item for which you are creating the computation as well as a computation type.

To create a page computation:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Computations, click the Create icon.

3. For Item Location, select where the computation will execute and click Next. Location options include:

   • Item on this Page

   • Item on Another Page

   • Application Level Item

4. For Item, select the item and computation point at which you would like to perform the computation:

   1. Compute Item - Select the item the computation will update.

   2. Sequence - Select the order of evaluation.

   3. Computation Point - Select the point at which the computation executes. The computation point On New Instance executes the computation when a new session (or instance) is generated.

   4. Computation Type - Select the method of computation you want to create.

   5. Click Next.

5. In Computation, enter a computation that corresponds to the selected computation type and click Next.

6. On Condition, you can choose to make the computation conditional. To make a computation conditional, make a selection from the Condition Type list and enter text in the expression fields.

7. Click Create.

Understanding Computation Points and Computation Syntax

A good example of using computations can be illustrated by a page containing form fields for entering phone numbers. In this example, the phone number is stored in one database column; however, the data entry form breaks the phone number into three components: area code, prefix, and line number. In this example, the page items are called P10_AREA_CODE, P10_PREFIX, and P10_LINE_NUMBER.

Next, suppose you need to combine the values stored in these items into a single string. You could accomplish this by using an After Submit computation and store the combined values in an item called P10_PHONE_NUMBER.

To create a computation to store the combined values of P10_AREA_CODE, P10_PREFIX, and P10_LINE_NUMBER in new items:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Create a new item named P10_PHONE_NUMBER to store the combined values of P10_AREA_CODE, P10_PREFIX, and P10_LINE_NUMBER. See "Differences Between Page Items and Application Items".

3. Under Computations, click the Create icon.

4. For Item Location, select Item on this Page and click Next.

5. For Computation, select P10_PHONE_NUMBER.

6. For Sequence, select the order of evaluation.

7. For Computation, you have the option of creating one of the following computation types:

   1. Static Assignment:

      • For Computation Type, select Static Assignment and click Next.

      • Enter the following computation:

        (&P10_AREA_CODE.) &P10_PREFIX.-&P10_LINE_NUMBER.
        

      • Click Next.

   2. PL/SQL Function Body:

      • For Computation Type, select PL/SQL Function Body and click Next.

      • Enter the following computation:

        DECLARE
        l_return_value  VARCHAR2(300) DEFAULT NULL;
        BEGIN
            l_return_value :=
        '('||:P10_AREA_CODE||')'||:P10_PREFIX||'-'||:P10_LINE_NUMBER;
        RETURN l_return_value;
        END;
        

      • Click Next.

   3. SQL Query:

      • For Computation Type, select SQL Query and click Next.

      • Enter the following computation:

        SELECT '('||:P10_AREA_CODE||')'||:P10_PREFIX||'-'||:P10_LINE_NUMBER FROM DUAL
        

      • Click Next.

   4. PLSQL Expression:

      • For Computation Type, select PLSQL Expression and click Next.

      • Enter the following computation:

        '('||:P10_AREA_CODE||')'||:P10_PREFIX||'-'||:P10_LINE_NUMBER
        

      • Click Next.

8. Click Create.

Editing Page Computation Attributes

Once you create a computation, you can edit it on the Edit Page Computation page.

To edit a page computation:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Computations, select the computation name.

   The Edit Page Computation page appears.

3. Edit the appropriate attributes.

4. Click Apply Changes.

Creating a Validation

To create a new validation:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Validations in Page Processing, click the Create icon.

   The Create Validation Wizard appears.

3. Select a validation level:

   • Item level validations are specific to a single item.

   • Page level validations do not apply to any single item, but apply to an entire page.

4. If you selected Item level validation, select the item to be validated and click Next.

5. Select a validation method as described in Table 4-6.

   Table 4-6 Validation Methods

   Validation Method	Descriptions
   SQL	Compares item values to data in the database. For example, you can use a SQL validation to verify whether a last name typed into a field exists in the database. In the following Exists SQL validation, the field is named P1_LAST_NAME and the table is named customers. SELECT 1 FROM customers WHERE last_name = :P1_LAST_NAME
   PL/SQL	Useful if you need complex logic to validate entered data. For example, suppose you need to create a validation for an address form that requires the user to enter a province if the address is not in the United States. You could create the validation as a Function Returning Boolean, using the following PL/SQL: BEGIN IF :P1_COUNTRY = 'US' AND :P1_PROVINCE IS NULL THEN RETURN FALSE; ELSE RETURN TRUE; END IF; END; You could also create the same validation implemented as a PL/SQL Expression as follows: NOT (:P1_COUNTRY='US' AND :P1_PROVINCE IS NULL);
   Item Level Null	Checks if an item's value in session state is null. For example, you could validate that the user enters a value in a field by creating an item validation and then selecting the validation method Item Not Null.
   Item String Comparison	Compares the value of an item to a specific string. There are several string comparison validations that compare the value of an item to a literal string. For example, you select the validation type Item in Expression 1 is contained in Expression 2 to validate a user entry in a field against a list of values you provide. In Expression 1, enter the name of the item you want to validate without a colon. For example: P1_VALUE In Expression 2, enter a string of values you want to validate against. For example: ABC/DEF/GHI
   Regular Expression	Regular expressions provide a method to describe text patterns. Use a Regular Expression validation to perform data validation. For example, you could use the following regular expression validation to verify that a string of entered data always consists of groups of six numbers separated by commas and followed by a comma: ^([[:digit:]]{6},)+$ This regular expression would find the following entries valid: 123456,654321, 123456, 123456,123456,654321, However, the following would not be valid: 123456,12345 12345

   
   

6. For SQL, PL/SQL, and Item String Comparison validations, select the type of validation you want to create and click Next.

7. Specify the sequence and validation name and click Next.

8. Depending upon the validation method, enter the validation or message text that displays if the validation fails. Click Next.

9. Define conditions that apply to this validation and click Create.

Defining How Validation Error Messages Display

You can choose to have validation error messages display inline (that is, on the page where the validation is performed) or on a separate error page.

To define how a validation error message displays:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Validations, select the appropriate validation.

   The attributes page for the validation appears.

3. Scroll down to Error Message.

4. In Error Message, enter your error message text.

5. From Error message display location, select a display location.

   This attribute identifies where a validation error message displays. Validation error messages can display on an error page or inline within the existing page. Inline error messages can display in a notification area (defined as part of the page template) or within the field label.

   To create a hard error that stops all processing (including validations), you must display the error on an error page.

6. If you select Inline with Field or Inline with Field and in Notification, you need to associate an item with the error message. To associate an item with the error message, select the item from the Associated Item list.

7. Click Apply Changes.

Processing Validations Conditionally

You can control when and if a validation is performed under Conditions.

To create a condition for an existing validation:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Validations, select the appropriate validation.

   The attributes page for the validation appears.

3. Scroll down to Conditions.

4. To have a validation performed when a user clicks a particular button, make a selection from the When Button Pressed list.

5. Make a selection from the Condition Type list.

6. Depending upon the selected Condition Type, enter values in the Expression attributes. The validation will be rendered or processed if the specified condition is met.

7. Click Apply Changes.

Creating a Page Process

You create a process by running the Create Process Wizard. During the wizard, you define a process name, specify a sequence and the point at which the process will execute, and select a process category. You can change nearly all of these attributes on the Edit Page Process page.

To create a new process:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Processes, click the Create icon.

3. Select a category. Table 4-7 describes available page process categories.

   Table 4-7 Process Categories

   Process Category	Description
   Data Manipulation	Data Manipulation process types are frequently used by wizards to support data manipulation language (DML) actions. Application Builder supports the following declarative data manipulation processes: Select Automatic Row Fetch and Automatic Row Processing (DML) to create an automatic data manipulation language (DML) process. Use Multi Row Update and Multi Row Delete in conjunction with tabular forms. Use Add Rows to Tabular Form in conjunction with a tabular form.
   Close Popup Window	Applies to processes running within a popup window. Upon execution, this process type closes the current popup window.
   Form Pagination	Implements pagination through the detail records associated with a master detail form. Most often used in master detail forms (such as in the Master Detail Wizard), this process checks the master table to determine which set of detail records you are in and determines what the next detail record should be. See Also: "Creating a Master Detail Form"
   On Demand	Creates an application-level process that can only be executed when called from a specific page. When you create this process type at the page-level, you are creating reference to an existing application-level process. See Also: "About On Demand Application Processes"
   PL/SQL	Runs the PL/SQL you provide. Use this process type to execute a block of PL/SQL entered directly into the process or to simply call an existing API.
   Reset Pagination	In Report regions, resets pagination back to the first result set. The Application Express engine keeps track of where the user is within a given result set. This process category returns the user to the beginning result set. In other words, this category resets the counters associated with the report region to return the first part of the result set the next time the result set displays.
   Session State	Sets the values of existing session state items to null. Select this process type to clear the cache for applications, sessions, or items as well as to clear existing user preferences. See Also: "Managing Session State Values" and "Managing User Preferences"
   Web Services	Implements a Web Service as a process on a page. Running the process submits a request to the service provider. See Also: "Invoking a Web Service as a Process"

   
   

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Editing Process Attributes

Once you create a process, you can control when the process executes and what the process does by editing attributes on the Edit Page Process page.

To edit an existing page process:

1. Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Select the process name.

   The Edit Page Process page appears.

Defining a Branch Point and Action

When you click a standard tab in an application, the Application Express engine sets session state, executes computations, and then links you to the target page. It does not run any processes or explicitly defined branches. In cases where the page is submitted without clicking a tab, the Application Express engine explicitly defines branches to direct users to a subsequent page.

You can control when a branch executes by making a selection from the Branch Point list. Available options include:

• On Submit: Before Computation - Branching occurs before computations, validations, or processing. Use this option for buttons that do not need to invoke any processing (for example, a Cancel button).

• On Submit: Before Validation - Branching occurs after computations, but before validations or processing. If a validation fails, page processing stops, a rollback is issued, and the page displays the error. Because of this default behavior, you do not need to create branches to accommodate validations. However, you may want to branch based on the result of a computation (for example, to a previous branch point).

• On Submit: Before Processing - Branching occurs after computations and validations, but before processing. Use this option to branch based on a validated session state, but before performing any page processing.

• On Submit: After Processing - Branching occurs after computations, validations, and processing. This option branches to a URL or page after performing computations, validations, and processing. When using this option, remember to sequence your branches if you have multiple branches for a given branch point.

• On Load: Before Header - Branching occurs before a page is rendered. This option displays another page instead of the current page or redirects the user to another URL or procedure.

Depending upon the Branch Type you select, you can specify the following additional information in the Action attributes:

• The page number of the page to which you want to branch

• PL/SQL procedure which ultimately renders a branch target page

• A URL address

Branching Conditionally

Like other controls, branches can be made conditional. To create a conditional branch, make a selection from the Condition Type list, and enter text in the expression fields to implement the condition type you choose.

Accessing Page Attributes

To edit page attributes:

1. Navigate to the Page Definition. See "Accessing a Page Definition".

2. Under Page Rendering, locate the Page section.

   
   Description of the illustration pg_def_edit_pg_att.gif
   
   

   The Page Attributes page is divided into categories that control specific page attributes such as the Page Name, Title, HTML Header, HTML Body, Help Text, Templates, and so on.

3. To edit page attributes you can either:

   • Click the Edit page attributes icon to access the entire Page Attributes page. This icon resembles a small page with a pencil on top of it.

   • Click a specific link. The specific information appears.

   Tip:

   Clicking the Edit page attributes icon is the only way to view all page attributes at once.

   The Page Attributes page appears. Required values are marked with a red asterisk (*).

About the Page Attributes Page

The Page Attribute page is divided into the following sections: Name, Display Attributes, Header and Footer, HTML Header, HTML Body Attributes, Security, Duplicate, Cache, Configuration, Error, Help, and Comments.

You can access these sections by scrolling down the page, or by clicking a navigation button at the top of the page. When you select a button at the top of the page, the selected section appears and all other sections are temporarily hidden. To view all sections of the page, click Show All.

The topics that follow describe the specific sections of the Page Attributes page.

f?p=100:home

<html>
<head>
...
</head>
<body #ONLOAD# >

f?p=4000:4600:&APP_SESSION.::&DEBUG::LAST_STEP:&APP_PAGE_ID.

"SHORTCUT_NAME"

Accessing the Shared Components Page

To access the Shared Components page:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

   The Shared Components page appears.

5. To create a shared component, select the appropriate link.

Using the Shared Components Icon

You can also access the Shared Components page by clicking the Shared Components icon on the Action bar. The Action bar resembles a small mechanical gear and displays beneath the Utilities tab in the upper right corner of most pages in Application Builder.

Description of the illustration shared_comp_icon.gif

See Also:

"About the Action Bar"

About the Shared Components Page

The following sections describe each link on the Shared Components page.

Definition

Links to the Edit Application Definition page. Use this page to edit attributes that determine the application name, application availability, and static substitution strings. You can also use this page to define other attributes such as build options or an application logo as well as view associated templates and component defaults. See "Configuring the Application Definition".

Comments

Use Application Comments to enter comments specific to the currently selected application. See "Adding Application Comments"

Application Items

Application-level items do not display, but are used as global variables to the application. Commonly, you set the value of a page-level item using an application or page computations. See "Understanding Application-Level Items".

Application Processes

Use application processes to run PL/SQL logic:

• At specific points for each page in an application

• As defined by the conditions under which the process is set to execute

• Upon the creation of a new session

Note that On Demand processes execute only when called from a page-level On Demand process. See "Understanding Application Processes".

Application Computations

Use application-level computations to assign values to application and page-level items for each page displayed or upon the creation of a new application session. You can also create an application-level computation and execute it conditionally on multiple pages. See "Understanding Application Computations".

Web Service References

Web service references in Application Builder are based on the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). You can create a reference to a Web service and then incorporate it into an application to process data submitted by a form, or to render output in the form or report. See "Implementing Web Services".

Build Options

Use build options to conditionally display or process specific functionality within an application. You can use build options to control which features of an application are turned on for each application deployment. See "Using Build Options to Control Configuration".

Authentication Schemes

Authentication is the process of establishing each user's identity before they can access your application. Authentication may require a user to enter a user name and password or may involve verification of a user's identity or use of a secure key. See "Establishing User Identity Through Authentication".

Authorization Schemes

Authorization restricts user access to specific controls or components based on predefined user privileges. See "Providing Security Through Authorization".

Session State Protection

Session State Protection is a built-in functionality that prevents hackers from tampering with the URLs within your application. URL tampering can adversely affect program logic, session state contents, and information privacy. See "Understanding Session State Protection".

Edit Security Attributes

Use the Edit Security Attributes page to configure general security attributes for all pages within an application. See "Configuring Security Attributes".

Translate Application

You can develop applications in Oracle Application Express that can run concurrently in different languages. A single Oracle database and Oracle Application Express instance can support an application in multiple languages. Translating an application involves multiple steps. See "About Translating an Application and Globalization Support" and "Understanding the Translation Process".

Text Messages

Text messages are named text strings that can be called from the PL/SQL code you write. This PL/SQL can be anonymous blocks within page processes and page regions, or in packages and procedures. See "Translating Messages".

Edit Attributes

You can develop applications that can run concurrently in different languages. Click this link to specify globalization options such as the Application Primary Language and Application Language Derived From attributes. See "Configuring Globalization Attributes" and "About Translating an Application and Globalization Support".

Tabs

Tabs are an effective way to navigate users between pages in an application. You can create two types of tabs: standard tabs or parent tabs. A standard tab set is associated with a specific page and page number. A parent tab set functions as a container to hold a group of standard tabs. See "Creating Tabs".

Lists

A list is a shared collection of links. You control the appearance of a list through list templates. Each list element has a display condition that enables you to control when it displays. See "Creating Lists".

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs provide users with hierarchical navigation. A breadcrumb is a hierarchical list of links that display using templates. You can display a breadcrumb as a list of links or as a breadcrumb path. See "Creating Breadcrumbs".

Trees

A tree is an effective way to communicate hierarchical or multiple level data. See "Creating Trees".

Navigation Bar Entries

Navigation bar entries offer users a simple navigation path for moving between pages in an application. The location of a navigation bar depends upon the associated page template. Navigation bar entries can display as a link from an image or text. A navigation bar entry can be an image, an image with text beneath it, or text. See "Creating a Navigation Bar Entry".

Themes

A theme is a named collection of templates that defines the application user interface. See "Managing Themes".

Templates

Templates control the look and feel of specific constructs within your application, such as pages, regions, items, and menus. See "Customizing Templates".

User Interface Defaults

User interface defaults enable you to assign default user interface properties to a table, column, or view within a specified schema. When you create a form or report using a wizard, the wizard uses this information to create default values for region and item properties.

Because user interface defaults are associated with a table, you can use them with applications created using the form and report wizards. See "Managing User Interface Defaults".

Lists of Values

A list of values (LOV) is a static or dynamic set of values used to display a popup list of values, select list, check box, or radio group. See "Creating Lists of Values".

Shortcuts

Use shortcuts to avoid repetitive coding of HTML or PL/SQL functions. You can create a shortcut to define a page control such as a button, HTML text, a PL/SQL procedure, or HTML. Once you define a shortcut, it is stored in a central repository so you can reference it from various locations within your application. See "Using Shortcuts".

Report Queries

Use the Report Queries link to view a report of stored queries within the current application. See "About Report Queries".

Report Layouts

Use Report Layouts in conjunction with a report or shared query to render data in a printer-friendly format, such as PDF, Word or Excel. See "About Report Layouts".

Cascading Style Sheets

Application Builder includes themes that contain templates that reference their own cascading style sheets (CSS). Use the Cascading Style Sheets link to upload cascading style sheets to your workspace. See "Using Custom Cascading Style Sheets".

Images

Use the Images link to upload images to your workspace. See "Managing Images".

Static Files

Use the Static Files link to upload static files to your workspace. See "Managing Static Files".

Exporting Shared Components from the Export Page

To export shared components from the Shared Components page:

1. Navigate to the Export page:

   1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

   2. Select an application.

   3. On the Application home page, click Export/Import.

   4. On the Export/Import page, click Export and click Next.

2. On the Tasks list, click Component Export.

   The Component Export page appears. See "Exporting Application Components".

Exporting Shared Components from the Shared Components Page

To export shared components from the Shared Components page:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

   The Shared Components page appears.

5. On the Tasks list, click Export Application Components.

   The Component Export page appears. See "Exporting Application Components".

About On Demand Application Processes

A special type of application process is the On Demand process. An On Demand application process has a Process Point of On Demand and executes when called from a page-level On Demand process. On Demand processes are useful when you have PL/SQL logic that you would like to run from different execution points across multiple pages.

f?p=application_id:page_id:session:APPLICATION_PROCESS=process_id

Application Process Example

A shopping cart application is a good example of when you might use an application process. For example, suppose you need to display the contents of a user's shopping cart with each page view. To accomplish this, you create a region on page zero of your application that displays the values of the application-level items TOTAL_CART_ITEMS and TOTAL_PURCHASE_PRICE.

Instead of writing a process for each page to set the values of TOTAL_CART_ITEMS and TOTAL_PURCHASE_PRICE, you could write an application process of type On Load: Before Header to compute these values. Then, the Application Express engine would execute the process on each page as it renders the application. As a result, each page, would display the most current values for TOTAL_CART_ITEMS and TOTAL_PURCHASE_PRICE.

Creating an Application Process

To create an application process:

1. Navigate to the Shared Components page:

   1. On the Workspace home page, click Application Builder.

   2. Select an application.

   3. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

      The Shared Components page appears.

2. Under Logic, select Application Processes.

3. Click Create.

4. For Identification:

   1. Name - Enter a name for the application process.

   2. Sequence - Specify the sequence number for this process. The sequence number determines the order in which the process will be evaluated relative to other processes.

   3. Point - Identify the point at which this process executes.

   4. Click Next.

5. For Source:

   1. Process Text - Enter the text that is to be the source of your process.

   2. Error Message - Enter the error message that displays if the process raises an error.

   3. Click Next.

6. For Conditionality:

   1. Condition Type - Select a condition type that must be met in order for this process to execute.

   2. Expression 1 and Expression 2 - Use these attributes to conditionally control whether or not the process executes. Enter values in this attribute based on the specific condition type you select. The process will execute if the specified condition is met.

   3. Click Create Process.

Accessing Application Processes Reports

After you create an application process, you can access the Utilization and History reports.

To access application processes reports:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click Application Builder.

3. Select an application.

4. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

5. Under Logic, select Application Processes.

6. Select one of the following tabs at the top of the page:

   • Utilization

   • History

7. Follow the on-screen instructions.

About Application Computations

A common use of an application item is to store the value of the last page viewed in the application. By storing the value in an item, you can add a back button and then redirect the user to the page number captured by the computation. This type of computation works well, for example, when you need to enable users to back out of an error page.

The following is an example of a computation that stores the last page visited. In this example, the computation:

• Stores the last application page visited to an item named LAST_PAGE

• Checks that the value of a CURRENT_PAGE_ITEM is of type PL/SQL Function Body with a Computation body of:

  BEGIN
     :LAST_PAGE := nvl(:CURRENT_PAGE,:APP_PAGE_ID);
     :CURRENT_PAGE := :APP_PAGE_ID;
     RETURN :LAST_PAGE;
  END;
  

Creating an Application Computation

To create an application computation:

1. Navigate to the Shared Components page:

   1. On the Workspace home page, click Application Builder.

   2. Select an application.

   3. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

      The Shared Components page appears.

2. Under Logic, select Application Computations.

3. Click Create.

4. Under Item:

   1. Sequence - Specify the sequence for this component. The sequence determines the order of evaluation.

   2. Computation Item - Select the item this computation affects.

5. For Computation Point, select a process point at which this computation should be performed. Selecting After Submit causes the computation to be performed only after the page is displayed and then submitted.

6. Under Computation:

   1. Computation Type - Select the manner in which this computation will be performed.

   2. Computation - Enter the computation logic that corresponds to the computation type.

   3. Computation Error Message - Enter the error message that displays if the computation fails.

7. For Authorization Scheme (optional), select an authorization scheme which must evaluate to True in order for this computation to execute.

8. Under Conditions:

   1. Condition Type - Select a condition type that must be met in order for this computation to execute.

   2. Expression 1 and Expression 2 - Use these attributes to conditionally control whether or not the computation executes. Enter values in this attribute based on the specific condition type you select. The computation will execute if the specified condition is met.

9. For Build Option (optional), select a build option for this component. See "Using Build Options to Control Configuration".

10. Click Create.

Accessing the Application Computation History Report

Once you create an application computation, you can view the Application Computation History report.

To access the Application Computation History report:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. When Application Builder appears, click Shared Components.

5. Under Logic, select Application Computations.

6. Select the History tab at the top of the page.

   This Application Computation History report displays a history of recently changed application computations by date.

About the Database Object Dependencies Report

The Database Object Dependencies report identifies database objects referenced by the current application. Review this report to determine what objects to move when deploying an application.

To view the Database Object Dependencies report:

1. Navigate to the appropriate application.

   1. From the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

   2. Select an application.

2. On the Tasks list, click Application Reports.

3. Click Shared Components.

4. Click Database Object Dependencies.

5. Click Compute Dependencies.

6. To view the components that reference a specific database object, select the Reference Count number.

About the Search Region Source Report

Use the Search Region Source report to search through all region source in your application.

To view the Search Region Source report:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. On the Tasks list, click Application Reports.

5. Click Page Components.

6. Under Regions, click Search Source.

7. To view the Page Definition for a region, select the page number.

8. To view region attributes for a region, select the region name.

About the Page Views by Hour Report

To view the Page Views by Hour report:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. On the Tasks list, click Application Reports.

5. Click Activity.

6. Under Page Views, click By Hour.

About the Application Comparison Report

Use the Application Comparison report to compare two applications.

To view the Application Comparison report:

1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

2. Click the Application Builder icon.

3. Select an application.

4. On the Tasks list, click Application Reports.

5. Click Cross Application.

   The Application Comparison page appears.

6. In the navigation bar, specify the following:

   1. Application 1 - Select the first application to compare.

   2. Application 2 - Select the second application to compare.

   3. Component - Select the components to include in the report.

   4. Page - Identify a specific page number to compare.

   5. Show - Select the number of differences to display on each page.

   6. Click Go.

7. To view only differences, select Show Differences Only and click Go.

8. To view details, select Show Details and click Go.